Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian Mcqueen [exclusive] 🆓

His work is characterised by meticulous, self‑published research. McQueen’s scholarship was primarily aimed at fellow collectors, offering them the tools to identify and catalogue markings that had long been overlooked. He wrote extensively in philatelic journals, including articles on the London airmail service from 1929 to 1946, and later produced a comprehensive two‑volume follow‑up, (2003), which further expanded on the foundational work laid down in his study of jusqu’à markings.

Ian McQueen’s work is widely regarded as a foundational text for identifying and cataloging these markings. While early airmail catalogs often focused heavily on postage stamps and first flight covers, McQueen turned the spotlight onto the operational markings that facilitated the mail's movement.

Beyond his work on Jusqu’a Airmail Markings , McQueen is also known for his articles in the philatelic press. For example, his piece “Air cancels: the sequel to jusqu’a markings, part one” appeared in the May 1993 issue of Gibbons Stamp Monthly , the same year his main study was published. He also wrote on South African air cancels (June 1994) and contributed regularly to the The Kiwi journal, where he explored the use of routing handstamps from New Zealand.

Britain’s Imperial Airways operated extensive routes connecting London to South Africa, India, and Australia. Senders in continental Europe frequently utilized jusqu'à markings to specify that their mail should fly via Imperial Airways up to a certain hub—like Alexandria or Calcutta—and then proceed by surface to smaller regional colonies. The Transatlantic and Transpacific Crossings Jusqu-a Airmail Markings- A Study Ian McQueen

McQueen did not stop with jusqu’à markings. His later two‑volume work, (published 2002‑2003), expanded the scope to include a much wider array of airmail directive markings, including transoceanic directions. Together, these four volumes (the two jusqu’à books and the two directional handstamps volumes) form a comprehensive reference set for anyone studying airmail covers of the 1930s and 1940s. One source notes that all four are “indispensable for anyone interested in airmail covers during the 1930’s and 1940’s”.

When a sender requested airmail service (often by using an "Air Mail" etiquette or stamp), the postal service might only be able to fulfill that request for part of the route due to limited flight paths or insufficient postage. The Marking

[ Origin Country ] │ (Airmail Postage Paid to Intermediary Hub) ▼ [ Jusqu'à Handstamp Applied ] ──► "Stop Air Transit At Designated Point" │ ▼ [ Intermediary Hub ] │ (Offloaded from Aircraft) ▼ [ Surface Forwarding ] ──► Rail / Sea / Road to Final Destination 1. Core Publication (1993) Ian McQueen’s work is widely regarded as a

Ian McQueen’s work, first published in 1993, filled a major gap in philatelic literature by documenting these previously neglected marks.

, this book is indispensable. While it is a technical "study" rather than a narrative history, McQueen’s clear organization makes it accessible for anyone trying to understand the journey of a specific airmail cover. It remains the "gold standard" for this niche, often cited in auction catalogs and expertizing certificates.

Ian McQueen’s Jusqu’à" Airmail Markings: A Study is widely considered the definitive reference for postal historians and airmail collectors specializing in the "Jusqu’à" (meaning "until" or "as far as") markings of the 20th century. The Definitive Guide to "Jusqu'à" Markings For example, his piece “Air cancels: the sequel

The French word translates to "as far as" or "up to." In a postal context, these markings indicate that a letter traveled by air only for a specific portion of its journey.

In the specialized world of postal history, few artifacts are as tantalizingly obscure or as geographically significant as the French airmail markings. For decades, these markings—hand-stamped or printed endorsements directing a letter’s airborne journey “as far as” a specific point—were a footnote in major catalogues. That all changed with the publication of one seminal reference work: Jusqu’à Airmail Markings – A Study by the revered British philatelist Ian McQueen .

McQueen divided handstamps into logical categories, such as bar cancels, cross cancels, and specific text-based instructions.

: Distinguishing legitimate postal markings from private or philatelic fabrications.

Within the realm of aerophilately and postal history, few subsets of study command as much intricate detective work as auxiliary markings. Among these, represent a specialized, highly challenging, and deeply fascinating area of research. Meaning "Until" or "As far as" in French, a Jusqu’à mark signifies that a piece of mail requested for air transport was only partially flown, reaching a specific point before being transferred to surface transport for its remaining journey.